The Fallen Soldier
by Jackisnotokay
Summary: It was just a regular mission... but soon it turned out to be more. People are killed... identities are found...some are being betrayed...some are being loyal. HYDRA vs S.H.I.E.L.D. Lies... the truth. Hell, maybe even love will come into the mix. Who knows anymore? (Part Four if the First Avengers Series)
1. Chapter 1

Nat and the S.T.R.I.K.E team were waiting for Steve. We had a mission tonight. So, I texted him while I drove to the park. I pulled up to him in a park while he was talking to a guy.

"Hey, fellas." I smiled, "Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."

"That's hilarious." Steve replied as he opened the passenger door and got in.

The man that Steve was talking to bent down and smiled at me, "How you doing?"

"I'm good." I responded.

"Can't run everywhere." Steve told the man.

"No, you can't." He replied before I drove off.

* * *

As we flew over the Indian Ocean in a jet, Rumlow told us about the mission,

"Target is a mobile satellite launch platform, the Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them. 93 minutes ago."

"Any demands?" Steve asked.

"Billion and a half." Rumlow answered.

"Why so steep?" Steve questioned.

"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D's."

"So it's not off course. It's trespassing." Steve said.

"I'm sure they have a good reason." Nat replied.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired or being Fury's janitor."

"Relax. It's not that complicated." I told him.

"How many pirates?" Steve asked Rumlow.

"25. Tops mercs led by this guy," Rumlow pulled up a picture of a man, "George Batroc. Ex-DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had 36 kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."

"Hostages?"

"Mostly techs. One officer. Jasper Sitwell. They're in the galley." Rumlow informed.

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve questioned, "All right, I'm going to sweep the deck and find Batroc. Kat, Nat, you two kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to life-pods, get them out. Let's move."

Once we got our parachutes on, Steve jumped first. Without a parachute.

* * *

Steve was mad at Nat and I. We didn't tell him that we had a different mission that my dad gave us. We had to get S.H.I.E.L.D information from the ship's computer. And we lost Baroc. While he was with my dad, I leaned against Steve's bike in my civilian clothes which was just a pair of skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

"Hey." I greeted when I saw Steve.

"Hi."

"So, uh, I want to apologize for not telling you anything about Nat and I's mission." I said.

"It's fine." He replied, putting one leg over his motorcycle.

"Steve, to make it up to you, there's a Captain America exhibit at the museum. I heard it's pretty awesome." I said.

He looked over at me, "Awesome?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Hop on."

* * *

Steve wore a jacket with its collar up and a baseball hat to hide his face from the people. I acted normal, hooking my arm with Steve's. The line was really long, but we eventually got in.

As we walked by some displays about Steve, I saw a child staring up at him. Steve smiled and winked before putting a finger to his lips, silently asking the boy to keep it a secret. The boy nodded and we continued on.

As I turned to a display about Bucky, I listened to the voice that was speaking,

"Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country."

There was a screen that showed a video of Steve and Bucky laughing. I laid my head on Steve's upper arm and sympathetically rubbed his forearm. Steve watched Bucky die, and years later, so did I. After watching Bucky's death, it took me awhile before I could go through more of Steve's memories of the war. It took him a while, too.

After moving on, Steve and I watched a interview of Peggy Carter. Once we were done with the whole exhibit, I left Steve alone. That was more emotional than I thought.

He went to go visit Peggy and I went back to headquarters.

* * *

"Dad?" I questioned as I saw him heading towards me in the lobby.

"You left already. Might as well take the rest of the day off. Come on, I'll drive you back to your apartment." Dad said and he grabbed my arm before spinning me around and we walked towards the garage.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

"Everything's fine, sweetheart."

He was lying. Something was very wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

"I need you here in DC. Deep shadow conditions." Dad ordered Hill.

"Give me four hours." She replied.

"You have three. Over."

"Dad, what exactly is the emergency?" I asked as we pulled up to a stop light.

"We'll talk about it later." Dad replied and I sighed, sinking back into my seat.

I looked over and beside us were two cops staring at us.

"Want to see my lease?" Dad asked and the officers beeped their siren once before driving off and we continued.

All of the sudden, the car was t-boned. It was another police car. Then another rammed into us from behind and from the front.

"Dad!" I yelled.

 _'Fracture detected'_

"Are you okay?" Dad asked as he grabbed a needle and jammed it into his arm, numbing the pain.

"Yeah." I answered and watched a SWAT van pull up next to us.

 _'DC Metro Police dispatch shows no units in this area'_

Police officers and SWAT members came out, aiming their guns at us.

"Get us out of here." Dad ordered.

Bullets then began to hit the bullet proof metal and glass.

 _'Propulsion systems offline'_

"Then reboot, damn it!" Dad exclaimed.

They eventually stopped, seeing how they were getting no where. But then the SWAT people pulled out a weird device. They put it a foot or so away from the driver's door.

"Kat, get into the back." Dad ordered and I did as he said. "How long until propulsion?"

 _'Calculating'_

Dad got into the passenger seat just as the device slammed itself into the door, shaking the entire car.

"Dad, that door isn't going to last long." I commented.

"Not helping, Katherine."

"Sorry." I mumbled back.

 _'Window integrity 31 percent. Deploying countermeasures'_

"Hold that order." Dad demanded and looked back at me, "We're going to be just fine."

The car shook again, _'Window integrity 19 percent. Offensive measures advised'_

"Wait!"

The device shook the car again.

 _'Window integrity 1 percent.'_

"Now!"

From the console between the driver and passenger seat, a machine gun popped up and dad shot at the people trying to get into the car, then he fired a grenade at the SWAT van.

 _'Propulsion system now online'_

"Full acceleration! Now!" I yelled.

The car drove away by itself and once dad moved the machine gun away, I got into the driver's seat, "Give me the wheel!"

"Initiate vertical takeoff!" Dad ordered.

 _'Flight systems damaged'_

"Then activate the guidance cameras!" Dad replied.

I looked through the rear view mirror. There were two cop cars following us as I weaved the car around traffic.

"Give me Agent Hill." I demanded.

 _'Communications array damaged'_

"What's not damaged?" Dad asked.

 _'Air conditioning is fully operational'_

"Thank god for that! That would have been useful if the window wasn't freaking broken!" I yelled, hitting my hand on the steering wheel.

 _'Traffic ahead'_

"Give me an alternate route." I replied.

 _'Traffic alert on Roosevelt Bridge. All vehicles stopped. 17th Avenue clear in three blocks, directly ahead.'_

I wasn't going fast enough. So, I rammed the truck in front of me.

"Sorry." I exclaimed before giving off a little laugh, "I guess I won't be getting that new car very soon."

"Oh, honey, you get us out of this mess, I'll buy you a garage full of cars." Dad replied.

I went between two other cars, and once I got passed them, they stopped, blocking the path for the police cars. I kept driving as they got out of the cars, going over other vehicles, trying to get to us. I kept hitting other cars, trying to get through.

One of the officers got on top of a car and began shooting at us. I let out a small scream and ducked. As I drove beside a bus, another officer went on the other side and shot through the bus. None of the bullets hit us, thank god.

Behind me was a officer and I put the car into reverse and hit him before driving forwards, knocking a silver car into the other officer shooting at us.

I drifted onto a clear road, but two more police cars came onto both sides of my dad and I. The one on my left had an officer hang out the window and began shooting at us. I put my arm against my dad's chest and pushed him back into the seat.

"Get ready to grab him." I told dad before ramming my car into the police car's side.

Dad grabbed the man's gun and punched him.

 _'Warning. Approaching intersection'_

I slammed on the breaks, the two police cars continuing forwards and a truck ran into them both and I turned the corner.

"Get us off the grid!" Dad demanded.

 _'Calculating route to secure location'_

Dad looked behind us and I saw a dark figure walking towards the car with a gun.

"Passenger seat eject." I ordered and dad looked at me,

"What?"

"Now! Passenger seat eject! That's an order!" I yelled.

The seat ejected and I heard my dad scream my name and I watched in slow motion as the man in black shot a disk under the car. It exploded and the car flipped over. Once it stopped moving, I groaned. I looked out what was left of the window and saw the masked man walk towards me. I grabbed my dad disintegrating device and quickly made a hole through the roof of the car and, how conveniently placed, man hole before he made it to me.

I quickly got up to the surface and took out my phone, that somehow survived. I texted my dad, telling him I was okay and to meet up at Steve's apartment. They could be waiting at my house or dad's.


	3. Chapter 3

I stumbled up the stairs in Steve's building. Once I got to his floor, I hid behind a corner as I heard him talk to a girl. Once she walked past me, I revealed myself.

"Steve." I whispered.

"Kat? Oh my god." He rushed over and he looked at my wounds, "What happened?"

"Is my dad in there?" I asked.

"I don't know. I haven't gone in yet." Steve answered and I grabbed his arm and went over to the door.

He opened it and we walked in and the music from the stereo got louder.

"Dad?"

I walked into the living room and saw dad laying back on a chair.

"I don't remember giving you a key." Steve commented.

"You really think I'd need one?" Dad replied, sitting up with a groan, "My wife kicked me out."

"I didn't know you were married." Steve responded.

I didn't know either.

"A lot of things you don't know about me."

"I know, Nick. That's the problem." Steve said and he turned on the light.

I saw the blood on my dad's face. He's got it worse than me. He motioned us to stay quiet and turned the lamp off and typed on his phone.

 **Ears everywhere.**

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no other place to crash. Kat's apartment is under renovation."

 **SHIELD compromised.**

"Who else knows about your wife?" Steve asked.

 **The three of us.**

"Just... my friends." Dad stood up and came over to us.

"Is that what we are?" Steve questioned.

"That's up to you." Dad answered.

There were guns shots and dad yelled in pain as Steve covered me.

"No!" I screamed.

Dad fell to the ground and Steve pulled him into the kitchen and I followed. Through the window, I saw a glint of metal. The shooter was there. I was just about to go after them before dad grabbed my arm.

"Don't trust anyone."

I looked down at the USB drive in my hand and looked up at Steve. Then he looked towards the door as it was broken open.

"Captain Rodgers? Captain, I'm Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D Special Service." Kate said, her gun ready to shoot.

"Kate?"

"I'm assigned to protect you." Kate told him and she walked into the kitchen.

"On whose order?" Steve questioned.

"His." Kate answered, looking down at my dad.

She took his pulse before taking out a radio,

"Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."

"Do we have a 20 on the shooter?" A man on the radio asked.

"Tell him we're in pursuit." Steve said, looking out the window and began running, me behind him.

Like hell I'm going to let the person who shot my father get away with it.

Steve grabbed onto me and he jumped through his apartment to the building next to it. We ran through hallways, and above us, I could see a man with a shiny arm running on the roof. Steve took out doors and windows until we came upon the roof. He threw his shield at the shooter, but the man turned around and caught it.

I stopped running and stared into the man's eyes that was surrounded by war paint. Those light blue eyes, I've seen them somewhere. But... where?

He threw the shield back at Steve and disappeared.

* * *

At the hospital, I was brought into a separate room while my dad was operated on and a nurse worked on my cuts and scrapes. I gave the USB drive to Steve before I was taken away. I trusted him to hold onto it. I couldn't stop thinking about the man who shot my dad, and not in the good, sexy way. I knew him. Or, I think I did. Who have I seen who has a metal arm?

The door opened and I noticed that the nurse was gone. I looked up and saw Steve. Something was wrong.

"Steve?" I questioned.

"I'm so sorry, Kat." He told me, coming towards me and I stood up and back away.

I knew what he was talking about.

"No. No, he's not..."

"Kat-"

"No! He wouldn't leave me!" I yelled and Steve came over and hugged me.

"Shhh." He whispered, rocking me back and forth, trying to calm me down.

After a few moments, I pulled away, "Can I see him?"

Steve nodded and grabbed my hand, "Come on."

Nat and I stood by my father's body and we held hands. He took care of her, too, a lot like he took care of me. I had tears running down my face, but Nat hasn't shed one. I'm not surprised, she's better at hiding her emotions than me.

"I need to take him." Hill stated from behind me.

I heard Steve's footsteps and Nat put a hand to my dad's forehead before walking away, Steve following.

"I can drive you back to your apartment." Hill said.

I shook my head, "I'm done with cars for the day. I'm okay walking."


	4. Chapter 4

I took the day off and stayed home. I kept my gun near me at all times, just in case the man with the metal arm attacked me. I was laying in bed when I got a call,

"Sitwell? What do you want? It's my day off."

"Do you know where Steve Rogers is?" He asked me.

"No. I haven't seen him since last night. Why?" I questioned.

"He's now a fugitive. Kat, if you're hiding him-"

I quickly hung up when I got a text on my phone.

 **Meet me at the hospital.**

It was Steve. It had to be. I quickly grabbed my cars keys and ran out the door.

* * *

When I got to the hospital, I ran down the corridor until I saw Nat in a room, pinned up against the wall. It was Steve that held her there.

"I know who killed Fury." Nat stated, "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years."

50 years? I only saw part of the man's face, but he doesn't look a day over 30. He's probably even younger than that.

"So he's a ghost story."

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him straight through me." Nat lifted her shirt and I saw a scar. "Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye bye, bikinis."

"Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now." I commented and they both looked at me.

"Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried." Nat said before holding up the USB drive and looked at Steve, "Like you said, he's a ghost story."

Steve took it, "Well, let's find out what the ghost wants."

* * *

We got into a disguise and went to the mall. Nat and Steve went inside an Apple store and I stood outside as lookout. When I saw them heading towards me, I began walking. I needed to be separated from them. S.H.I.E.L.D is now looking for three people. On the escalator, I saw Rumlow and kept my head down as I pulled out my phone, pretending to be busy.

Once we got outside the mall, we searched for a car to steal. Steve broke into a blue Chevy truck and managed to start it. On the way to New Jersey, I fell asleep in the back seat.

"Hey, Kat, we're here." I heard Steve say and I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

Once I got out of the cars I stretched my arms above my head and looked at the gate in front of me.

"The file came from these coordinates." Nat said.

"So did I." Steve replied and we walked around the military camp. "This camp is where I was trained."

"Changed much?" Nat asked.

"A little." He answered.

"This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off." Nat stated.

"What is it?" I asked Steve, who was staring at a building.

"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards from the barracks. This building is in the wrong place." Steve said before he opened the lock with his shield and went went down the steps and turned the lights on.

On the wall in front of us was the S.H.I.E.L.D logo.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Maybe where it started."

The three of us entered an office and I saw portraits of Peggy, Howard, and Phillips on the wall.

"There's Stark's father." Nat said.

Steve stared at the picture of Peggy,

"Who's the girl?" Nat asked.

Steve looked at me before he walked over to a bookshelf and stood in front of it,

"If you already working in a secret office..." Steve slid the shelves over to reveal and elevator, "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"


	5. Chapter 5

Once Nat got us into the elevator, we went down. The doors opened to reveal a room with very old computers.

"This can't be the data-point, this technology is ancient." Nat said before she noticed a small flash drive port, where she put the flash drive in.

Once it was plugged in, the computers started.

"Initiate system?"

"Y-E-S, spells yes." Nat said as she typed on the keyboard. "Shall we play a game?"

"It's from a movie that-" Nat began to explain to Steve.

"Yeah, I saw it." He interrupted.

"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984. Fury, Katherine. Born, 1989." The computer said.

"It's some kind of a recording." Nat said.

"I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am."

A face appeared on the screen. But not any face. It was Dr. Zola.

"Do you know this thing?" Nat asked Steve.

"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years." Steve informed her as he went behind the computer.

"First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive." Zola said. "In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain."

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"Invited." Zola answered.

"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic values." Nat explained.

"They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own." Zola said.

"HYDRA died with the Red Skull." Steve said.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." Zola replied.

"Prove it."

The computers around began showing pictures. One of them was Johann Schmidt.

"HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom." The comuter showed footage of HYDRA soldiers and American ones. "What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist." The footage changed to Red Skull and Steve. "The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed." Then the footage showed images of the Winter Soldier.

"That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you." I said.

"Accidents will happen." Zola said and the computer showed images of Howard's death in the newspaper and my father's.

"HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life. A zero sum."

Steve, in anger, smashed the screen.

"As I was saying..." Zola continued as he appeared on another screen.

"What's on this drive?" Steve asked him.

"Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm." Zola answered.

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" I questioned.

"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it." Zola replied.

The doors behind us began to close, and Steve threw his shield to stop them, but it was too late.

"Guys, I got a bogey. Short-range ballistic. Thirty seconds, tops." Nat informed us.

"Who fired it?" Steve asked her.

"S.H.I.E.L.D." She answered.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain." Zola told us and I looked around for a place to take cover in.

I saw the grate in the floor and I lifted it up

"Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us...out of time." Zola said.

"Steve, Nat!" I yelled as I jumped in and they followed just as the explosion occurred.

* * *

Pierce walked into his kitchen and saw the Winter Soldier sitting at his table.

"I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?" Pierce's maid, Renata asked.

"No. Uh...it's fine, Renata, you can go home." Pierce answered.

"Okay, night-night."

"Good night." Pierce replied before she left, "Want some milk?"

The Soldier didn't reply as Pierce got himself a glass and the milk from the fridge and he walked over and sat across from the Winter Soldier.

"The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Three targets, level six. Kill the man and the redhead. Capture the blonde girl, she's going to be very useful to us." He informed the silent man, "They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours."

"Sorry, Mr. Pierce, I...I forgot my phone." Renata said from behind Pierce.

"Oh, Renata. I wish you would have knocked." Pierce said before grabbing the gun that was on the table and shooting the woman.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, after Nat woke up, Steve told us we were going to a friend's house. Someone we can trust. Sam Wilson.

"Hey, man." Sam greeted when he opened his door.

"I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low." Steve said.

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us." I told him.

"Not everyone." Sam replied after a moment and let us inside.

Sam let us use his shower. Steve and Nat went first and I helped Sam make breakfast. When most of it was done, I excused myself to take a shower. Once I was done, I joined them for food.

"So, the question is, who in S.H.I.E.L.D could launch a domestic missile strike?" Nat asked.

"Pierce." I answered.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world."

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star." Steve said.

"So was Jasper Sitwell." Nat replied.

"So, the real question is, how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D officer in broad daylight?" Steve asked.

"The answer is, you don't." Sam answered before he dropped a file on the table in front of us,

"What's this?" Steve asked.

"Call it a resume." Sam smirked.

Nat picked up the picture and the three of us looked at it.

"Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you." Nat said.

I looked at Steve, "You didn't say he was a para-rescue."

"Is this Riley?" Steve asked him, looking at the picture of Sam and another man.

"Yeah." Sam answered.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?" Nat asked.

"No. These." Sam replied, handing Steve another file.

"I thought you said you're a pilot." Steve said, looking at Sam.

Sam smiled, "I never said a pilot."

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason." Steve said.

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in." Sam responded.

"Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" I asked.

"The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall." He answered.

Steve and I looked at Nat, and she shrugged her shoulders,

"Shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

Once we got the Falcon, we had to find Sitwell. And once we did find him, it was up to Sam. We got our hands on Sitwell, and the three of us brought him up to a roof while Sam got ready.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm." Steve demanded.

"Never heard of it." Sitwell replied.

"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?" I asked.

"I was throwing up, I get seasick."

Steve forced him to the edge of the roof and Sitwell smiled,

"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you can throw me off the roof? Cause it's really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right. It's not. It's hers." Steve stepped aside and Nat kicked Sitwell off the roof.

"Oh, wait. What about that girl from accounting, Laura?"

"Lillian. Lip piercing, right?" Steve replied.

"Yeah, she's cute." I replied, smiling at Nat.

"Yeah, I'm not ready for that." Steve replied.

We heard Sitwell's screaming as Sam flew him back onto the roof.

"Zola's algorithm is a program...for choosing Insight's targets!" Sitwell exclaimed.

"What targets?" Steve asked.

"You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Little Fury over there, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future." Sitwell answered.

"The Future? How could it know?" Steve questioned.

Sitwell laughed, "How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' past to predict their future.

"And what then?" I asked.

"Oh, my God. Pierce is gonna kill me."

"What then?!" Steve yelled.

"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few millions at a time." He said.


	7. Chapter 7

We all got into Sam's car and he drove us towards the Triskelion.

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks." Sitwell stated.

"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it." Sam replied.

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here." I told Steve.

"I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly." Steve said.

"What?! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea." Sitwell replied.

All of the sudden there was a thump on the roof of the car, and I saw a metal arm break through the window, grab Sitwell, and throw him into the oncoming traffic. Nat jumped over me and onto Steve's lap, while I moved onto the console just as the Winter Soldier shot three bullets into the back seats. I pulled the brake handle, making the Soldier fall onto the street. Nat pulled out her gun to shoot him, but a car behind us smashed into us, pushing the car along and the Solider jumped back onto our car, smashed his hand through the windshield, and tore out the steering wheel.

"Shit!" Sam exclaimed.

Nat began shooting at him, but the Winter Soldier jumped onto the car behind us and Steve held onto the car door, "Hang on!"

The four of us pilled onto the car door and we slid down a ways. Once we got slower, Sam rolled off. Nat, Steve, and I got off the door and men came out of the hummer with impressive looking weapons.

The Soldier had a grenade gun in his hand, and Steve pushed Nat and I away once he pulled the trigger. Steve hid behind his shield, and the grenade knocked him off the bridge.

"Steve!" I began running towards the edge, but Nat pulled me behind a car just as the other men began shooting.

I pulled out my gun and helped Nat shoot at them. The Winter Soldier aimed his grenade gun at us, and we jumped over the border that separated the traffic. We made our way to the edge of the bridge and Nat grabbed my hand,

"Hold on!"

We jumped off just as a car exploded and flipped off the bridge behind us. Nat got her grapple gun and I landed on the ground when she let go and I ran towards bus. I saw Nat running towards me, but I also saw the Soldier waiting for her, so I aimed my gun and shot at him.

The Soldier ducked down behind the railing, and I must've hit him. He tried to shoot at me, this time without his goggles. I looked over at Nat, and she nodded at me and we both ran down the street, ducking behind the cars that were parked.

"Nat, phone!"

"Why?"

"Trust me!" I yelled and she tossed me her phone.

I put quickly made a recording and set it behind a parked car before hiding with my redheaded friend.

"I've seen him before." I whispered.

"What?" Nat asked.

"The Winter Soldier. I've seen him before. I don't know when and where, but... those eyes. I know those eyes." I told her.

I went silent as we watched the Solider walk up the street. He took an explosive out of his pocket and rolled it towards where Nat's phone was. Once there was an explosion, Nat jumped over the vehicle and at the man. And when he threw her off of him and aimed his gun at her, I attacked, too.

I kicked his gun away towards the flaming car, and he grabbed my neck and slammed me down onto the road. As I laid there, I lifted my arm towards his mask. I needed to see who he was. The Winter Soldier grabbed my hand with his flesh one and slammed it down onto the street next to my head.

"Вы тот которые он хочет действующий." He said in Russian.

As black dots spotted my vision, I grabbed the micro-EMP device from my pocket and slapped it onto his metal arm, making it useless and I was able to breath. I kicked him off me and ran down another street and caught up with Nat.

"Get out of the way!" Nat and I screamed at the civilians as we ran.

"You so owe me a new phone!" Nat said, "Oh!"

I turned around and saw Nat clutching her shoulder.

"Nat!" I yelled, running over to her and sat her down against a car.

"I'm okay." She whispered.

"I need to check if there's an exit wound." I told her but she slapped my hand away.

"You need to run." Nat said.

"What? I'm not leaving you!" I whispered harshly.

"Kat, he didn't kill you. I saw it. He could've killed you easily, but he didn't. I'm guessing here, but maybe HYDRA wants you for your powers." Nat explained.

"I'm not-"

I looked up and saw the Winter Solider on top of a car, aiming his gun at us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Steve run at him. The Soldier moved to punch him, but Steve raised his shield.

"Stay here." I told my friend.

"Where else would I go?"

I ran out from behind the car just as the Solider shot at Steve,

"Kat, stay back!" Steve yelled at me.

The Soldier and Steve fought and the man with the metal arm was able to take Steve's shield and threw him yards away. When Steve ran at him, the Soldier threw the shield, lodging it into the van behind him.

"Knife!" I yelled at Steve when I saw the Soldier take out a knife.

I took out my gun, but I couldn't get a shot off. Not without risking shooting Steve. Then, Steve kicked him into the van and threw the Soldier onto the ground. But the Winter Soldier stood up and wrapped his metal hand around Steve's neck. Once he threw Steve over the hood of the car, I ran at him.

I wrapped my arm around his head to get him into a head lock, but he threw me off him and against the van. I watched as he jumped over me and went for Steve. I slowly got back onto my feet. I saw Steve grab the Soldier by the mask and throw him over his shoulder. I froze as the Soldier turned around. I did know who he was.

The Winter Solider is Bucky.

* * *

Вы тот которые он хочет действующий-You are the one he wants alive.


	8. Chapter 8

"Bucky?" Steve and I asked at the same time.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" Bucky asked before aiming his gun at Steve.

He couldn't get a shot off, because Sam flew in and kicked him away. When Bucky stood again, Nat shot a grenade. We all looked back towards the smoke, but he was gone.

Vehicles and motorcycles surrounded the four of us. I felt a cold arm wrap around my waist and a hand went to my mouth before everything went black.

* * *

When I woke up, I was laying down on a cot, a thin sheet covering me. I opened my eyes and sat up quickly, waiting for someone to attack me. No one did.

"About time you woke up." A man in a long white coat said, looking down at a clipboard.

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around the room at the guards before my eyes settled on Bucky, who was sitting on this big, threatening looking chair.

"HYDRA base." The man looked at the guards, "Pierce wants her wiped before he gets here."

Bucky stood up and the men came towards me. Once their hands grabbed me, I struggled.

* * *

 _A man in a black jacket with a monocle and another man in a lab coat walked towards a little blonde girl who was strapped into a chair. She couldn't have been older than four years old._

 _"Where's my mommy? My daddy?" She kept crying._

 _"Shut it you little brat!" The man in the dark jacket said in a German accent and slapped the child and she instantly went quiet._

 _"Where did you find this child?" The German man asked the man in the lab coat._

 _"We took her from a preschool in Virginia. She's a smart child for her age, that's why we have chosen her, well, that and because of her parents. We've been watching her and her family for weeks. Her parents are ex-agents for S.H.I.E.L.D. They left when they found out they were expecting."_

 _"Who were her parents?" The German man asked._

 _"Scott and Shannon Lawrence." The man in the lab coat answered._

 _"Hmm. Great. Wipe her and start with the injections." The German man ordered._

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _"Once you are done, put her in with the twins. Maybe she will survive, too. She's strong. I can tell."_

* * *

"Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed, memories flashing through my mind.

Memories I don't remember having.

I was forced into the chair and strapped down. I felt tears run down my cheeks.

"Mom! Dad!" I yelled before everyone froze, including me.

Objects around the room, like pens and guns from the guards, rose off of the surface they were on. Am... am I doing this? The objects started circling the room quickly, blowing paper off the desks.

A guard grabbed a stun gun from his belt and shocked me in my side. I screamed and kicked at him until, once again, everything went black.

I woke up in a weird position. I was straddling someone's lap, with one of their hands stroking my hair, and the other on my back and my head was resting on their shoulder. Oh, and did I mention they were shirtless. Well, they're shirtless.

I moved my head to the side a little and I saw their left shoulder. Or what was left of it. It was heavily scared, and where their arm would be, was replaced with a metal one.

I slowly moved my arms to wrap around his waist. The two of us sat there for a moment before I heard a weird noise coming from Bucky's arm.

"You should get that checked." I whispered as I pulled back and looked at him in the eyes.

I heard a door open behind my and I turned and saw a guard with a bruised jaw glaring at me,

"Pierce is on his way."

I was lifted off of Bucky and we were escorted back into the room where I was before. Around the room paper was scattered on the floor. I was shoved down onto a chair and my hands we tied down behind my back as Bucky sat in the chair from before and a man in a lab coat worked on his arm, Bucky's eyes were on me the whole time.

All of the sudden Bucky punched the scientist across the room and the guards aimed the guns at him, except for one. He aimed it at my head.

"Sir, he's...he's unstable. Erratic." I turned my head and saw Pierce walk into the room and sit in front of Bucky.

"Mission report." Pierce ordered and Bucky didn't reply, "Mission report, now.

When Bucky didn't answer, Pierce hit him across the face. I tried to stand up, but was forced back down.

"The man on the bridge..." Bucky whispered, "Who was he?"

"You met him earlier this week on another assignment." Pierce answered.

"Don't lie to him, Pierce!" I yelled and was smacked by a guard.

"I knew him." Bucky whispered.

"Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped this century, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push. But if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves." Pierce said.

"But I knew him." Bucky replied.

Pierce turned to the scientists, "Prep him."

"He's been out of cryo-freeze too long." One said.

"Then wipe him and start over." Pierce ordered.

"No!" I yelled and he walked over to me.

"Katherine, it's good to see you. How's your father?" He asked.

"You bastard!" I yelled and he left the room.

I sat there and watched as Bucky was pushed back into the chair and strapped into it. They put a mouth guard into his mouth, and the machine covered his face and Bucky screamed in pain.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" I screamed as I was taken from the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Eventually Bucky's screams stopped. But I could still hear them in my head.

People can choose between being good and evil. Bucky, he didn't have a choice or a free will. He was made to be evil, but Bucky's not the villain here. He is as much as a victim as the people the Winter Soldier has killed over the years.

He's abused. Imprisoned and dehumanized. As if being used for evil against his will or his knowledge was the worst part.

Bucky knew what was going to happen. He knew he would lose his memories. He's been through this before. How many times? How many times has Bucky tried to fight back? How many times has he had a spark of his real self surface and try to break free? How many times have those men taken that spark and stomped it out, scraping away more of Bucky? Scraping away more of his strength, washing his mind. Freezing it. Starting over. Destroying the old to bring back the new.

For seventy years, how long was he beaten down and tortured? Told he was nothing but a weapon, an asset, stripped of identity and value, made to believe he wasn't even a person? In the beginning, did he fight? Those first few years, did he fight against the brainwashing, against the poison that was being fed into his mind that he was no one?

He's just a dog to them. They hit him if he does something bad, if he rebels. How well do they take care of him? Do they give him food? Or feed him through tubes? Bucky doesn't deserve any of this.

I hope Steve is okay right now. It must be hard for him, seeing his best friend alive after seventy years. After seeing him fall from a train.

"You hear me, baby girl?"

I jumped from my spot on the ground and looked around before realizing the voice came from my ear piece.

"Daddy?"

"It's me, honey." Dad replied.

"How are you-"

"Nevermind that. I just need you to listen in, okay?" Dad asked.

"Okay, dad."

"We have to stop the launch." I heard Nat say.

I'm glad she's okay.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore."

There was a small moment of silence before I heard Sam.

"What's that?"

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized." Hill answered.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own." Dad said.

"One or two chips won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die." Hill explained.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left." Dad said.

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D." Steve responded.

"S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with it." Dad replied.

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D's been compromised, you've said so yourself. HYDRA was right under your nose and nobody noticed." Steve said.

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed." Dad replied.

"And how many paid the price before you did?" Steve asked.

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes." Dad said.

"Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D, HYDRA, it all goes." Steve stated.

"He's right." Hill replied.

"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower." Sam said after a small moment of silence.

"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain." Dad said.

"Kat, can you escape?"

I looked towards the barred windows, "Yes, sir."

"Get out. I'll tell you the rest after." Dad said.

I stood up and faced the window. I was able to move objects with my mind. How convenient. I closed my eyes and focused. I imagined the bars flying off the window in my mind, but when I opened my eyes, nothing happened.

"Come on!" I exclaimed and kicked the wall.

There was a bang and I turned around and saw that the bars were on the ground.

"Sweet." I smiled before squeezing through the small window and running down the sidewalk.

I had to get far away before HYDRA noticed I was gone.

* * *

Dad told me the coordinates of where he was, and I hurried. I jogged through the woods and got into a clearing where I met up with Steve, Sam, and Hill.

"Kat. How did you find us?"

"I followed a flock of bald eagles. Oh, Steve." I cried before hugging him, "You should see how they treat him. Like dirt! It wasn't his fault. None of it was. They wiped his memories and made him believe what he's doing is for the greater good."

"Hey, Kat, it's okay. Because we'll get him back, right?" Steve replied and I nodded.

I turned to Hill and she handed me two guns and extra clips, "Good to see you again, Kat."

"You too, Hill." I then looked over at Sam, "Hope you were planning on giving me a lift with those things."

"Yes, ma'am."


	10. Chapter 10

Once we've head the crew back up, Steve went over to the PA system,

"Attention, all S.H.I.E.L.D agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me these last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexandra Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want, absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone who stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always had been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam joked after Steve finished.

"They're initiating launch." Hill announced as Steve, Sam, and I made our way towards the Helicarriers.

"Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?" Sam asked.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad." Steve answered before Sam took off.

Steve wrapped an arm around me and we jumped down onto a Helicarrier. Guards began shooting at us and we hid behind cargo. Steve took out one that came for us and took a grenade from him and threw it at three others.

"Hey, Cap, found those bad guys you were talking about." Sam said through the ear piece.

"You okay, Sam?" I asked.

"Not dead yet."

I went to the edge of the Helicarrier and waited for Sam, taking out guards as I did.

"Hey, Sam, when you have a moment, can you pick me up?" I asked.

"Sure thing, blondie." He answered, "Once I get rid of these missiles."

"Alpha lock." Steve said from the ear piece.

"Falcon, Kat, where are you now?" Hill asked.

"Had to take a detour." Sam answered.

All of the sudden, Sam flew above me.

"Catch me!" I yelled before jumping.

Sam flew down and caught me by the hands. All of the sudden there was a jet behind us and they shot more missiles at us.

"Brace yourself!" Sam told me before flying under the Charlie Helicarrier.

Barely dodging the glass globe that was under it, the missiles hit it, creating a hole. Sam dropped me off there quickly before going over to Bravo. I ran over to the system and was just about to place the chip when a knife landed right beside me. I gasped and turned around to face Bucky.

"Kat, what's your status?" Hill asked.

"Um, I have a problem here." I said before Bucky ran at me.

I dodged the punch he threw at me.

"Bucky, stop please!" I exclaimed before he grabbed my neck and lifted me from the ground, "I'm not going to fight you!"

"Snap out of it." I gasped, not able to get enough air, "Bucky... please."


End file.
